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COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT. 





Me£ff/ePwmfi3o0l 



AN INTIMATE GUIDE TO 
THE SURER GROWING OF 
BETTER FRUITS end FLOWERS 

F*f'Ro ckw ell 



Published in the interest 
of Better Gardening My 

The PECK.STOV&VILC0XCQ 
Makers o/Qualit)? Pruning 
d^ d?. ^ Shears ^ ^ .f^ 

CLEVELAND, O. 



Copyright, 1917,l:by:Peck, Stow & Wilcox Company, Cleveland, Ohio 




onhnfs 




PAGE 

Foreword : a Little Parable About Pruning ... 5 

Why Prune? The Reasons for Pruning; and What it 

Accomplishes 9 

The Gentle Art of Pruning: General instructions 11 

How to Prune: The Wrong Way and the Right; and 

Why the Latter is Worth While 17 

Pruning in the Rose Garden : Big Flowers, Many 

Flowers, or a Glorious Show; and How to Get Them . 21 

Pruning in the Flower Garden : Getting Bigger 

Flowers, More Flowers and Longer Seasons of Bloom . 24 

Pruning Shrubs, Trees, Hedges and Vines : 

How to Get the Results Desired, and to Tell When to Prune 26 

Pruning Fruit Trees, Dwarf Fruits and 

Trained Fruits: The Care of Young Trees and 

the Rejuvenation of Old 31 

Pruning Small Fruits: Neglect in Pruning Causes 

Inferior Quality and Small Yields; How to Get the Best __ 
Results 37 

Definitions : Horticultural Definitions of a Few Garden 

Words 42 

Around the Year with the Pruning Shears: 

Seasonable Work That Will Keep the Place Ship-shape 
and Give Better Fruits and Flowers 43 

Pruning Equipment : How to Select Good Pruning 

Shears and Their Care; How to Get the Right Shears . 44 

Conclusion : A Word to the Wise Gardener ... 48 

m 28 I9i7 

©CI.A470102 



foreword 

A Little Parable About Pruning 




I" Figs do not grow upon thistles; neither good fruits upon the " 
I unpruned tree. He that would have fine flowers, such as are set 
I before kings, let him apply his shears diligently, sparing not the 
I old branches, neither the young growth, nor any part that should 
|_ be taken away. 

THE long-legged son of farmer Grimes let down the 
bars, and drove the cattle toward home. 

It was a mellow, belated autumn afternoon, and 
the green-brown world, flooded with a golden mist of 
light from the leisurely westerning sun, was good to 
look upon, and full of dreams. ^ Out of his ragged pocket 
the boy drew a choice apple which he had been saving 
for this opportunity to enjoy it uninterruptedly. As he 
munched he dreamed, as every farmer's boy in a 
story should, that he would some day go to the city, and 
live to see famous the name he bore. The apple he 
devoured was so exceptionally good that instead of 
lasting him to the barn, as was usually the case, at the 
end of the lane it was all gone but the core, and that, 
with a sigh, he tossed over the rail fence. 

Of the five seeds which fell with the core, the imper- 
tinent little chipmunk who lived in that corner found 
three. Dead leaves covered the other two ; and the snow 
drifted over them through the winter; and in the spring 
they put forth leaves and twigs, and fought for existence 
with the wild choke-cherries and goldenrod which had 
taken possession of that spot. 

In good time it came to pass that farmer Grimes, who 
was a careful husbandman, got around with his axe and 
bush hook, for he liked it not that brush should grow 
in his fence corners. 

The first of the little apple trees he cut; and it fell 
across his boot. Being one who worked with his eyes 



open and his wits about him, he noted the leaf. He 
adjusted his steel-rimmed specs and picked it up. 

"What is here?" he said. "An apple among the cherry 
sprouts." 

Now (to fall into the vernacular, which we hate to do) , 
if thrift was a mole-hill, farmer Grimes would be a moun- 
tain. So he took the corn-cob out of his mouth, and 
leaning on his hook, looked again. 

So it happened that the second little tree was spared. 

But alas, how unfavorable was its environment! 
Years passed, but the little tree had a mighty hard time 
of it. It grew where the snow drifted, and many of its 
branches were broken off. It was handy as a source of 
switches for everyone who passed to let down the bars 
for the cattle; and many a promising shoot w^s cut off 
and trimmed up only to be broken about the hind legs 
of any animal that lingered on the way home. The 
cows themselves, as if in resentment for the part it 
played in their chastisement, took a passing "hook" 
at it whenever they got a chance. 

More years passed. The little tree had begun to bear 
apples. The long-legged son of farmer Grimes had gone 
to the city to get a job in an office where he could wear 
a pink shirt and consider himself "some cheese". The 
county had prospered, moderately, until it now boasted 
on every barn on the way to town, its forthcoming 
first Big County Fair! 

And among the local farmers, competition was es- 
pecially keen for one entry on the premium list — "the 
best plate of apples, any variety." 

Well, to trim our little story ..short, the blue card 
went to "Grimes Foundling" .... .For all this was in 
the days before everyone knew the importance of 
pruning; and Chance had done for farmer Grimes what 
he didn't know — then — how to do for himself. 

In the succeeding years many "whips" were cut from 
that wayside tree — but not to beat cows with. They 
went into other orchards for grafting, and made that 
section famous. And they brought the thrifty old farmer 
many an iron man, in those long-ago days when an I. M. 
could go to the grocery store and march home with 



something more than nine pounds of beet sugar to its 
credit! 

Moral: There is only one thing that pays better than 
having a sound knowledge of pruning: and that is 
— to USE it. The following pages are for you : 




Why Prune? 

The Reasons for Pruning; and What It 
Accomplishes 

WHAT is pruning? 
Every one knows, in a general way, what is 
meant by pruning. But to make perfectly clear 
at the beginning just what we are talking about, let us 
give the following definition : 

Pruning is the removal from a plant of that part 
which is undesirable or superfluous. 

In other words, pruning is one of the arts of the 
grower — or of the horticulturist, if you prefer ! by which 
he or she obtains better results than nature, unassisted, 
would give. All of the arts of the grower are bent to 
one or both of two definite ends: to improve results, or 
to make them more certain. Pruning does both. 

The gardener's work, in almost every thing he does, 
is to co-operate with Nature. To the extent he learns 
how to do this, his efforts will be rewarded by success. 
His problem really is to discover the things he can do 
that will actually be working with nature, and not 
counter to her way of doing things. The ''improving 
on nature" which one hears much about is in reality 
merely lending her a helping hand, by following the tips 
she herself gives. When we interpret these tips correctly 
and are guided accordingly, it means successful garden- 
ing. 

What can Nature show us about pruning? 

Go out into the wood, or peer into the hedgerow down 
the road, and you will see that the Old Dame herself 
is the greatest pruner that ever came down the pike! 
Even in your garden, when you come to understand 
just what she is doing, you will see that she has attended 
to so much of the pruning herself that what is left for 
you to do is merely supplementary. But in the wood 
or the hedgerow it is easier to see how she takes care of 
the job. Every dead branch on a tree; every dead twig 
under your foot; is the result of the remorseless use of 
her invisible pruning shears. When you come to see 



with a perceiving eye you will realize that among the 
silent growing things there is going on as savage and 
as ferocious a struggle for existence as ever took place 
among half-starved beasts in the jungle. The weaker 
shrubs or trees in each group or clump must succumb, 
and the struggle is continued among the branches of 
those which survive. Look at the full grown trees in 
a thick piece of woods: many without a branch for 
fifteen to thirty feet up. Nature is a pitiless pruner! 

Then why not leave the job of pruning to Nature? 

Because it means wasted effort on the part of the plant. 
It is part of the gardener's business to save the plant 
this unproductive effort. To do so means that the 
plant's energies, before wasted in civil warfare, can 
be devoted to the production of finer flowers, better 
fruits, or additional growth. 

Moreover, while nature does the job of pruning 
thoroughly enough to serve her own purpose, which in 
most cases is the reproduction of the species, the gardener 
may have a different purpose in mind. Nature is, 
for instance, set upon the production of a large number 
of apple seeds, and is not concerned if the "fruits" 
in which they are borne, are small, bitter, and poorly, 
colored. The gardener, on the other hand, wants to 
obtain large, juicy, and highly colored apples, and would 
be tickled to death to get them, if he could, with no seeds 
at all! 

Actual results have shown that judicious pruning 
may not only accomplish these results, but actually 
add to the vigor and total growth of the plant pruned. 

It is told of two Siberian crab apple trees, as near 
alike as one could possibly get them, set out under the 
same conditions. The next year (in February) one of 
these was pruned, and the other was not. The same 
season the pruned tree made fourteen feet more growth, 
and stouter growth, than the unpruned! This is only 
one instance, but it is representative of results which 
have been obtained repeatedly, both in experiments 
and in commercial work. 

There is, in short, no doubt that intelligent pruning 
properly done is one of the greatest aids to the gardener 
in obtaining better flowers and fruits. The question 
is: when and how to do it? 

10 



The Gentle Art of Pruning 

General Instructions 



IT is as simple to give a number of rules for pruning 
as it is to give rules for other things, but the gardener 
who does not know some things about the why as 
well as the how of his work is never the progressive and 
increasingly successful gardener. Almost any rules, 
of course, are better than mere guess work; but rules 
which are understood, so that they will not be followed 
blindly in spite of conditions that should alter or suspend 
them, are much better. 

Therefore, before attempting to formulate any rules 
on pruning, let us stop a moment to look into the way 
Dame Nature does the job; and examine how plants 
develop, and why they need pruning, before we attempt 
to interfere. 

Plants develop 
through "buds." The 
bud is formed, usually 
rests for a while, and 
then resumes growth 
and develops into a 
new twig, or branch, 
which becomes part 
of the permanent 
structure of the plant; 
or produces flowers, 
followed by seeds or 
fruits. 

What is a "bud?" 

Look at the draw- 
ing FIG. 1, or better 
still go out and cut a 
branch or a sprouting 

twig from an apple tree, a shrub, a currant bush, or 
any plant that is convenient. You will notice along the 
sides, and at the tip, little swellings or pointed caps 
which are decidedly different from the wood to which 
they are attached. • They will break or rub off 

11 



Axirnay 
Buds 




Dormant 
Budfl 



FIG. 1. 
Young branch or shoot from a tree, showing 
the different kinds of buds. The strongest 
buds are at and near the tip. 



readily, leaving only a slight mark to show where they 
were attached. If you open one and look at it under a 
magnifying glass, you may find, according to its stage of 
development and variety, miniature leaves, or even 
the parts of a flower, neatly packed away. 

Even on the smallest twig, you will notice a decided 
difference in the appearance of the several buds. The 
one at the very end of the growth, which is usually the 
strongest, is called the terminal bud; those below it, 
situated in pairs or alternately, are called axillary buds, 
because they are formed in the axils of the leaves. You 
will notice, if you examine the buds on a number of 
different shoots, that the buds nearer the top on those 
growing vertically, and the buds on the upper surface 
of those growing horizontally, are stronger than those 
nearer the base, or on the lower surface. When growth is 
resumed not all of these buds will start out. A large 
percentage of them, especially the small or weaker ones, 
will remain dormant, and are known as dormant buds. 
If anything happens to the terminal bud either before or 
after growth is resumed, to injure or remove it — if, for 
instance, it is cut away — the bud or buds just below it 
will receive the nourishment meant for the amputated 
bud, and be greatly stimulated in their growth. Incase 
of injury or removal of many buds, some of the "dormant" 
buds will become active — nature keeps them as a reserve 
supply, to be used only in case of necessity. But even 
these are not the last card she has to play. If, in turn, 
so many of these are injured or removed that the balance 
between the top of the plant and the roots is again upset, 
new buds may form at any point along the branch or 
shoots, or even on the main trunk or stem of the plant 
itself. These are called advantitious buds, and in their 
turn will carry on the work which the others were designed 
to perform. 

It Is evident then that by removing certain parts of 
the plant and, as It were, directing the energies thus 
interrupted Into other channels, we can to a consider- 
able extent control the plant's development. This is 
where Nature leaves off, and the gardener takes a hand; 
and after that the responsibility is up to the gardener. 

12 



The first step in any kind of pruning should be to 
determine definitely, in advance, just what it is we want 
to accomplish. Without that ideal in the mind's eye, to 
work to, we are not likely to do much better than Nature 
unassisted would do, and may bungle the whole job. 
All the different kinds of pruning there are to be done 
may be classed under the three following heads. Of 
course, two or three of these may be applied to the same 
plant, but they are distinct, nevertheless. 

1. Pruning to increase general health and vigor. 

2. Pruning to get a special form of growth. 

3. Pruning to increase quantity or improve quality 
of the product. 

1. Pruning to Increase General Health and 
Vigor. — Pruning to be done for this purpose will depend 
very largely upon the kind of plant ; some being bene- 
fitted by quite severe pruning, while others do better 
with hardly any at all. The first step in pruning for 
general health should be to remove all dead growth, and 
to cut all dying and diseased growth back to live healthy 
wood. The second step is to remove growth which is 
likely to injure or be injured by some other part of the 
plant, such as limbs in fruit trees which cross one another 
and rub together; tall canes in the rose garden which 
might whip about in the wind, etc. Thirdly, remove 
such superfluous growth as there may be, — that is, 
any parts of the plant which may not, for any reason, 
be needed to get the results you are after. In the case 
of most shrubs, climbing roses, and ornamentals, this 
includes old wood that is not yet dead, but which takes 
up sunlight and space that could be used to better 
advantage by the freer flowering new growth which 
is constantly struggling to take its place. 

In addition to this the parts of the plant remaining 
should be pruned back to the extent which experience 
has shown to be desirable for the particular thing in 
hand. More detailed information concerning the dif- 
ferent plants is given in the chapters which follow, but 
in general it may be said that: 

Vigorous plants should he pruned LESS SEVERELY than 
weak growing plants 

13 



This seems at first something of a paradox, but the 
reason is plain when you stop to think about it. I have 
already spoken about the balance between root action 
and tops that must be maintained. If plants of vig- 
orous root action are pruned too severely they either die, 
are seriously injured, or make so much and so rapid new 
growth that it is watery and abnormal in character, and 
unsuited to the gardener's purpose. In other words, 
there is a line beyond which no plant can safely be 
pruned ; and this line is reached more quickly in the case 
of the plant of vigorous root action than in that of a 
weaker root action. Hence, the rule just laid down — 
prune strong growing plants less severely than weak 
growing ones. 

It should be kept in mind, however, that this applies 
to plants in good health. Where the root action has been 
temporarily checked by disease, unfavorable conditions, 
or transplanting, severe pruning may often be resorted 
to with advantage. 

2. Pruning to Get a Special Form of Growth. — 
Nature has her own habit of growth or * 'plant form" 
for every species and every variety that grows. Fre- 
quently, however, it suits the gardener's purpose to 
modify or entirely change this natural habit. In the 
case of fruit trees, he does it largely in order that they 
may be more easily cared for. In the case of hedge 
plants and many ornamentals, he does it to keep them 
within certain predetermined limits, or to get formal 
effects. Whatever his reason may be, there are certain 
things he must keep in mind to attain his ends. The 
first is that every plant, no matter how severely or often 
pruned, tends to resume quickly its natural form. The 
gardener should, therefore, plan to keep as near this as 
he can while still carrying out his own object. The second 
Is that by removing the upper buds, or bud, the lower 
buds or growth will be stimulated ; but that one or more 
of them will immediately make the effort to take the 
place of that which has been removed. If the top of a 
young tree Is cut off, for instance, a new "leader" imme- 
diately makes the effort to take the place of it. This is 
important In the pruning of hedge plants and speci- 
mens, where a thick growth is wanted clear to the 

14 



ground. Merely cutting back plants which have been 
allowed to grow tall will not give the desired results, 
as the bottom will still remain straggly, while the plant 
endeavors to form a vigorous new top. The pruning 
should be begun early in the plant's life, and very low 
down, so that the desired thick growth is maintained 
from the bottom up. Thirdly, whatever tends to hinder 
the flow of sap from the roots to the upper parts of the 
plant will stimulate growth on the lower portions. For 
this reason, roses and other things which would be bare 
and unsightly at the bottom, if allowed to take their 
natural course, are often bent over to the ground to a 
horizontal position, and then given another bend to the 
upright nearer the end of the stem. 

One of the apparent contradictions in pruning comes 
in at this pioint. In pruning the different parts oj the 
same plant for the purpose of trimming, training, or get- 
ting a symmetrical specimen : 

The more vigorous parts of the plant should he pruned MOKE 
severely than the weaker growths. 

By doing this, it is possible to divert the constructive 
energies of the plant to these weaker parts, and greatly 
stimulate their growth. 

3. Pruning to Increase Quantity or Improve 
Quality of Product. — Usually it is the quality and not 
the quantity which the gardener seeks in bettering 
nature. We want bigger apples, bigger peaches, bigger 
roses, and bigger dahlias, rather than more of them. 
Nevertheless we also resort to a form of pruning when 
we attempt to cheat nature into giving us more sweet 
peas, more summer roses, or a longer continued crop of 
certain perennials and annuals, than she would do if 
left alone. The theory of pruning to get bigger flowers 
and fruits is almost the same as that mentioned above — 
we divert part of the plant's energies, or vitality, from 
where it would naturally go, to where we want it to go. 
Only in this case, it is the strongest and most promising 
buds and growth which we seek to stimulate by sacri- 
ficing the weaker. Here, however, again we find a line 
beyond which we cannot go with safety, because if we 
prune too severely, nature revolts, and instead of giving 
us still bigger fruits or more gigantic blooms, will begin 



IS 



to turn this surplus energy into a sudden new growth of 
wood and foliage; or get real peevish and quit altogether. 
Beyond a certain point the old Dame can be neither 
coddled nor blarneyed along. 

So we begin to get an idea of what we can accomplish 
with our little pruning shears ; and to realize the direction 
in which we can work and the fact that there are limita- 
tions beyond which we cannot go. The first thing, we 
may repeat, so that there will be less danger of your for- 
getting it, is to fix your ideal to prune to in each case, 
before the first snip is made. The second thing is to do 
your snipping in such a way that there will be the least 
possibility of injuring the plant. In other words, the 
pruner should be a good surgeon as well as a good 
diagnostician. And that we will take up in the next 
chapter. 




16 



How To Prune 

The Wrong Way and the Right; 
and Why the Latter is Worth While 



WE have already said that pruning improperly 
done is worse than none at all. This applies 
not only to mistakes in pruning, too much 
pruning, or pruning at the wrong season, but also to a 
poorly done job. With plants, as with animal life, any 
wound is a danger spot, because it is a possible opening 
for the entrance of various diseases. Unless it is so 
made and cared for that it will heal quickly, it is almost 
sure to cause trouble sooner or later. 

Practice alone, in pruning as in all other kinds of work, 
from dish-washing to piano-playing, can bring perfection. 
But in pruning there are many mistakes which even the 
novice can avoid, if he or she is fore-warned. The 
trouble is that any warning given on a printed page is 
likely to be forgotten, until it has been driven home by 
a lesson from that ungentle but effectual school ma'am, 
"Experience." Therefore, to save yourself disappoint- 
ment and loss where it is possible to do so, make yourself 
thoroughly acquainted with the suggestions given in 
this chapter, even if you have to read it over several 
times. 

As a general rule, the earlier in the development of the 
plant or limb, or shooty the pruning required can be done 
the better. 

We have seen that one of the main objects in pruning 
is to conserve the energies of the plant that are wasted 
by the struggle for survival among its branches, using 
it either to increase the general vitality of the plant, or 
to direct it to some particular part of the plant where it 
would help along the design or end that the gardener 
has in mind. Wherever, therefore, it is possible, prun- 
ing should be done with the thumb and finger! In this 
way none of the plant's strength is wasted on growth 
which is merely to be cut away later. Besides this, the 
wound left is imperceptible and heals almost at once, 

17 . 



and the balance between the top and the roots of the 
plant is not upset. This finger pruning — in some cases 
called " dis-budding " — should be practiced a good deal 
more than it usually is. You are doubtless in the habit 
of removing the buds from your chrysanthemums to 
get larger flowers and of "pinching out" the surplus 
shoots on your tomato plants so that they will not attempt 
to bear more fruit than they can ripen quickly. Exactly 
the same thing can be done to ma!ny other plants, shrubs, 
and trees, thus saving the plant and yourself a lot of 
useless work. 




c 

FIG. 2. 

Making the cut in pruning: A- 
green pruning; B- " ' 




-right for summer or 
-right for winter or dormant pruning; 
C — ^wrong, too slanting; D — wrong, too far from bud; 
E — ^wrong, too close to bud. 



But most of your pruning, even if you are more careful 
than the average gardener about "nipping in the bud" 
superfluous and undesirable growth, will be done with 
the pruning shears. In using them, there are four things 
which you should always keep in mind. Eventually 
they will become second nature, but at the outset you 
should learn them by heart, so that you can check them 
off on your finger tips any time you ask yourself what 
they are! 

First — Always leave a clean smooth cut. Careless 
cutting or dull shears, leaving a ragged edge, means slow 
healing and increased danger — to say nothing about its 
being the earmark of a slovenly gardener. 

Second — Cut just the right distance above the bud. 
If you cut close to it, it is likely to be injured. If you 



18 



cut too far above it, a dead stub will be left. On small 
branches and twigs, cut from a quarter to less than half- 
an-inch above the bud. If pruning is done when plants 
are in active growth, however, the cut should be made 
close to the bud, as it will heal almost immediately. 
The accompanying diagram illustrates how the cut 
should be made. 

Third — Prune above an outside bud. This will tend 
to keep the new growth branching outward, giving the 
plant an open center with plenty of space and light. 





FIG. 3. 
Removing a large limb: result of 
wrong method, attempting to do it 
with one cut. 



FIG. 4. 
Removing a large limb: correct 
method, first cut at A; second cut 
at B; then saw off stub at C-D. 



While in some specific case there may be reasons for 
selecting an inside bud, this holds as a general rule. 

Fourth — Cut close up to and parallel with the main 
branch, trunk or stem. In removing a branch from a 
tree or side shoots from shrubs or plants, the leaving of 
a stub, even if it is a short one, delays the healing or 
makes it possible for disease germs to enter, thus pro- 
viding for future trouble. 

Sometimes it is necessary to remove quite large 
branches. This should never be done, if it can be 
avoided, but with old trees that have been neglected, 
and in the case of limbs broken by ice storms, or through 
over-bearing, and from similar causes, there is nothing 
else to do. In such cases, the way that is the safest and 

1? 



in the end the most convenient, is to remove the branch, 
first, lopping it off with an axe, and then sawing off the 
stub, a foot or so above the point where the pruning 
cut is to be made; then the final cut may be made clean 
and neat, just where you want it. With large and heavy 
branches there is the danger that it will break before 
the sawing is finished, and strip the bark, making a very 
serious wound. (See Fig. No. 3.) To prevent this, 
make a cut on the under side of the limb; then saw it 
off several inches beyond this, and remove the stub. 
(See Fig. No. 4.) 

Much has been written about protecting large prun- 
ing wounds on trees. In cases where the center of the 
limb removed has decayed, leaving a cavity, this should 
be cleaned out thoroughly to sound wood, and lined with 
coal tar; then filled with cement. Sound wooded wounds 
over two or three inches in diameter should be covered 
with lead paint, or with tree paint made for this purpose, 
to within a half to three quarters of an inch of the cir- 
cumference. This protects the center, which is the dan- 
ger spot, and at the same time leaves clean bare wood for 
the new bark which should eventually grow in and cover 
the entire wound. 



20 



Pruning in the Rose Garden 

Big Flowers, Many Flowers, or a Glorious 
Show; and How to Get Them 



PRUNING is a more important factor of success 
with roses than with anything else you grow. There 
are a few sorts which will get along with compara- 
tively little care but the majority of them, and especially 
the garden roses, will reward only the gardener who does 
not spare the pruning shears. 

There are, however, roses of all kinds and descriptions, 
differing in their requirements and having possibilities 
of treatment in various ways, so that the inexperienced 
gardener will be lost unless he can get a few general 
principles of rose pruning i 

fixed. I shall try in this chap- 
ter to straighten out this rose 
tangle so that any one who 
will follow the instructions 
given cannot go far wrong. 

To begin with there are two 
things to be considered in 
pruning any rose. The first is 
the natural character or habit 
of the class or type to which 
it belongs; and the second is 
the result the gardener may 
wish to achieve — the finest 
individual flowers ; the greatest 
quantity of good flowers; or 
the most striking show in his 
garden, or on the trellis or 
arbor, as the case may be. 

To take the second of these 
factors first: With any indi- 
vidual plant you may follow one of at least three methods 
of pruning. Severe pruning will give you the finest indi- 
vidual blooms, the most perfect roses you can produce, 
under the conditions you have. Moderate pruning will 
give you many more blooms and quite perfect ones, 

21 ^ 




FIG. 5. 
Spring pruning of hardy garden 
roses; the more severe the pruning, 
the finer the flowers, but there will 
not be so many of them. Cut 
illustrates medium pruning of 
strong-growing sort. 



but they will not be so large, nor have such long stems, 
as you could get with severe pruning. Light pruning will 
give you more abundant bloom, larger plants, a contin- 
uous supply, and the most striking decorative effect in 
your garden or on your lawn ; but the individual flowers 
will not be as fine for cutting, as they will be smaller, 
less prefect and have shorter stems. It is up to the 
gardener to decide which of these methods of pruning 
shall be followed. It is a matter of personal choice, 
which does not effect the general welfare of the rose 
garden. Where there are many roses probably all 
three methods will be utilized, so that there will be 
some extra fine blooms for the house and for giving 
away, and at the same time a glorious display about 
the grounds. 

Before you attempt to prune any rose you should 
know to what type or class it belongs. Pruning on which 
some kinds would thrive would be fatal to others. If 
you know the names of the varieties you have, you can 
easily identify the type or class of each one by referring 
to any good rose catalog. After each name you will 
find an abbreviation, such as "H. P.","H. T.",';T," and 
so forth, signifying "hybrid perpetuals," "hybrid teas," 
"teas," or whatever it may be. A ke}^ to the abbre- 
viations is usually given at the beginning of the list. 
If you do not know the names of the varieties you have 
you should by all means make an effort to identify them 
by the help of some friend when they are in bloom, or 
by a careful study of the catalogs. On each tag you 
should mark the type or class, as well as the variety, 
to guide you in your future pruning. 

You will find that some varieties of the same type 
or class are much more robust than others. The weaker 
varieties should be pruned back more severely than the 
stronger ones. In all cases, as a general rule, 5^ou should 
cut from about a quarter to a half an inch above the 
outside bud or eye. 

HYBRID PERPETUALS: Prune in March or early 
April; remove all weak growth and winterkilled wood. 
For severe pruning, cut stronger shoots back from eight 
to ten inches, or three or four buds, leaving only four 
to six branches. For moderate pruning leave six to 



22 



seven eyes; and for light pruning, cut back a third or so, 
and stake up loosely tall growing sorts. 

HYBRID TEAS: Prune in April as soon as growth 
starts. Remove all weak growth and thin wood entirely, 
and cut stronger shoots back to eight to twelve inches. 

TEAS: Prune in April, not so severely; cut out all 
weak wood and stronger shoots back to a good strong 
bud. 

RUGOSA: Little pruning is required. Cut all old 
canes out every two or three years, and enough new 
growth to keep the plants from crowding. Plants may 
be trimmed back to any shape desired. 

HARDY CLIMBERS AND RAMBLERS: In 

spring cut out dead and winter killed wood. In summer 
after flowering cut back severely, removing old wood to 
the ground, or main trunk, to get new strong growth of 
canes on which next year's flowers will be produced. 

HYBRID SWEET BRIARS: Remove only surplus 
canes and trim lightly to keep in shape. 

AUSTRIAN BRIARS: Prune as with hybrid per- 
petuals. 

MOSS ROSES: Cut back sparingly in spring to 
trim last year's growth to shape; remove old canes. 

In addition to this regular annual pruning the ever- 
blooming garden ' varieties should be pruned lightly 
after the first blooming period unless most of the flowers 
have been cut with long stems. 

In planting roses, if dormant roots are used hybrid 
perpetuals should be severely pruned, back to three or 
four buds on each branch, as soon as they are set out. 
Hybrid teas and teas cut back to six or eight buds. Well 
established pot grown roses — ^which are the best to plant 
— ^will usually need no pruning, or only light pruning, 
when being set out, as they come ready to plant. 

In autumn long canes or whips that have been sent 
up late in the season should be pruned back from a 
third to a half of their length to keep them from being 
whipped about in the winter winds. 

23 



Pruning in the Flower Garden 

Getting Bigger Flowers, More Flowers, 
and Longer Seasons of Bloom 



THE flower beds, including annuals and perennials, 
are with few exceptions allowed to take care of 
their own course without restraint or guidance 
on the part of the gardener. They can, however, be 
controlled as readily as other things, and the pruning 
shears and the fingers can be used to great advantage. 
There are, for instance, very few plants which cannot 
be made to give much finer blooms by judicious pruning. 
Dahlias, chrysanthemums, both hardy and exhibition 
varieties, asters, and a very few others are often pruned 
or disbudded for this purpose, but the same treatment 
applied to many flowers, such as hardy pinks, antirr- 
hinums (snap dragons), begonias, cosmos, heliotrope, 
zinnias, salpiglossis, etc., will produce as marked results. 
To get extra large flowers only a few stalks or branches 
should be left to each plant, and only a few buds, or one, 
to each stalk. Usually the terminal bud, or cluster 
of buds, is the strongest, and the others should be 
pruned off or pinched off before they have made such 
development. 

With many plants, however, just the opposite treat- 
ment is needed. If left to themselves they will shoot 
up one strong straight stalk, bearing a few fine flowers 
at the top, while the side shoots amount to little or 
remain entirely undeveloped. This is especially true 
of seedling plants of many annuals, and when they 
have once flowered and borne seed, they are through 
for the rest of the season, having accomplished their 
purpose in life. Many annuals and tender perennials, 
such as asters, snapdragons, heliotrope, cosmos, stocks, 
petunias, marigold, etc., if the main stem of the young 
plant is pinched or cut off before the first top buds are 
developed, may be induced to branch freely and bear 
many more flowers than they would otherwise. In order 
to get as long a blooming period as possible from the 
various annuals and perennials, all flowers should be 

24 



kept cut off as soon as they begin to fade; pansies and 
sweet peas are two of the most striking examples. You 
should have a regular time every day, or at the least 
every other day, to go over the flower bed with your 
small pruning shears and snip off all blooms which are 
beginning to be passe. 

In many cases a second crop of flowers can be had by 
a thorough pruning or cutting back, after the first crop 
is over. Removing half or even two-thirds of the top 
will induce a new growth to break out at the bottom from 
the remaining "stubs," which will grow rapidly and 
flower freely. Try this with your sweet peas and other 
annuals which seem to be "going by." If the soil is 
dry at the time, a thorough watering should be given, 
and another as soon as the new growth starts. 

It is often desirable to keep plants at a certain height, 
or to make them conform more or less to a form shape, 
especially where they are used in hedges, lining out, etc. 
Most of the perennials and annuals will stand being cut 
to shape to whatever form may be wanted; but do not 
let them get full growth, and then cut them back. Begin 
your trimming early, to make them bushy and to give 
them a "good face," and let them gradually develop 
to the size wanted. 




25 



Pruning Shrubs, Trees, Hedges, 
and Vines 

How to Get the Results Desired, and 
to Tell When to Prune 



IT is perhaps hardly necessary to mention the desira- 
bility of "keeping up the place." Many persons, 
however, fail to realize the important part which 
the pruning shears play in preserving a neat, trim 
appearance at all times. Neglected trees and shrubs 
give a down-at-the heel effect, no matter how the walks, 
lawn, and flower beds may be kept. 

Not only the general appearance, however, but the 
amount and the kind of blooms on your various shrubs, 
and the health and longevity of your trees, depend to 
a large extent upon their receiving timely and intelli- 
gent attention in this respect. 

Before giving suggestions as to the care of the different 
classes of plants covered in this chapter, it will simplify 
matters if we define in advance a few of the terms which 
will be used. Long pruning and short pruinng refer 
to the severity of the cutting. By "long pruning" is 
meant that more wood is left on the plant than is cut 
away, and by "short pruning," the opposite. From what 
has already been said in connection with the general 
principles of pruning and the pruning of roses, it is plain 
that, other things being equal, long pruning will produce 
a greater show of flowers, while short pruning produces 
fewer flowers, but these of exceptional quality. 

Green or summer pruning and dry or dormant pruning 
refer to the condition of the wood or the season in which 
the pruning is done; the former indicating that the wood 
is cut while in active growth in the spring or summer, 
and the latter that the wood is cut when the sap is 
inactive in late fall, winter or very early spring. Shearing 
is the cutting back, usually not very heavy, to a uniform 
smooth surface. It is as a rule done with shears made 
especially for this purpose. 

26 



Old wood is that of several seasons growth, not neces- 
sarily beginning to die, but having passed the stage of 
most vigorous production of flowering shoots or foliage. 
"Surplus" wood is that which is over-crowding the plant, 
or stands in the way of the development of new growth, 
which will be increased by the space left by its removal. 

Do not feel that the following suggestions must be 
followed blindly. The most prized thing that you can 
grow in your garden is individuality. The following 
"rules" are for the results which in most cases are gen- 
erally sought. But if you wish to have your plants 
do for you things they are not generally made to do for 
your neighbors, by all means persuade them to follow 
your wishes if you can. Get the general principles clear 
in your mind, and you can make your own rules — that 
is the ideal toward which every wielder of the shears 
should work. 

For the purpose of pruning, the ornamental shrubs 
should be considered in two general groups: 

First: Those which flower, usually in the spring or 
early summer, from buds on the wood of the previous 
season's growth, such as Deutzia, Weigalia, Forsythia, 
Lilac, and Viburnum. This group should be pruned 
green directly after flowering. By dormant pruning 
many of the buds would be sacrificed. 

Second: Those which flower, usually during late 
summer or in early autumn, from buds on the current 
year's growth, such as Buddleia, Calycanthus, Hibiscus, 
and Philadelphus. This group should be pruned dormant 
before growth begins in the spring. 

The following lists show the common shrubs belonging 
to each group. 

SHRUBS BLOOMING ON LAST YEAR'S WOOD 
(Prune Green After Flowering) 

Akebia Bignonia (Trumpet Vine) 

Aristolochia Celastrus (Bitter Sweet) 

Azaleas (Hardy Ghent, Mollis) Cercis (Judas Tree) 

Calycanthus Floridus (Straw- Chionanthus (White Fringe) 

berry Plant) Cornus (Dogwood) 

Barberis (Barberry) Crataegus oxyacantha (Haw- 



thorne) 



27^ 



Cydonia Qapan Prince) 

Deutzia 

Exochorda (Pearl Bush) 

Forsythia (Golden Bell) 

Hydrangea, Hortensis 

Jasminum 

Judzu Vine 

Lilac 

Lonicera fragrantissia (Bush 

Honeysuckle) 
Philadelphus (Mock Orange) 
Paeonia Moutan (Tree Paeony) 



Prunus (Flowering Almond) 

Rhododendron 

Ribes (Flowering Currant) 

Roses, Climbing Varieties 

Sambucus, nigra (Golden Elder) 

Spirea Prunifolia (Bridal Wreath) 

Spirea Thunbergii 

Spirea Van Houteii 

Viburnum (Snowball) 

Weigalia 

Wistaria 



SHRUBS BLOOMING ON THIS YEAR'S WOOD 
(Prune Dormant in Winter or Early Spring) 



Actinidia (Silver Vine) 
Althea (Rose of Sharon) 
Buddlea (Butterfly Shrub) 
Calycanthus 
Ceanothus 
Clematis Tackmanii 
Clethra (White Alder) 
Desmodium 
Diervilla Canadensis 
Genista (Rock Broom) 
Hibiscus Syriacus 
Honeysuckle 
Hydrangea paniculata 



Lycium (Matrimonial Vine) 

Rhus (Smoke Tree) 

Roses (Garden Bush Varieties 

Rubus (Flowering Raspberry) 

Sambucus, pubens (Elder) 

Spirea Anthony Waterer 

Spirea Bumalda 

Spirea Douglasi 

Viburnum Tinus 

Viburnum Opulus (High Bush 

Cranberry) 
Vitex (Chaste Tree) 



The following shrubs require very little pruning; 
merely the occasional removal of the broken or old wood : 

Akebia; Andromeda; Lily of the Valley; Aralia; 
Angelica Tree; Artemisia; Azalea; Barberis; Chonan- 
thus; Crataegus Pyracantha; Fiery Thorn; Cytisus 
Laburnum; Golden Chain; Daphne; Garland Flower; 
Kalmia, Laurel; Lonicera Tatarica; Magnolia; Mahonia; 
Rhododendron. 

Most of the shrubs mentioned above can be used either 
as individual specimens or in the mixed shrubbery bor- 
der. In the former case, they will need more attention 
in the way of pruning. For the shrubbery border a 
naturalistic (effect is desired, and the different plants 
should be allowed to grow and intermingle freely. 

HEDGES: In the pruning of hedges, on the con- 
trary, it is usually a formal effect that is wanted. To 
get a good hedge, plants to be used should be set close 

28 



together — about four to twelve inches apart — ^while for 
the shrubbery border they are put from two to three 
feet apart. Many beginners make the mistake of let- 
ting the hedge grow to the height desired before they 
begin to prune. To obtain a good "face" and to a hedge 
that is well filled out down to the ground, pruning should 
begin at once. Cut back severely when the plants are 
set, to induce a thick growth of low branches; and head 
in once or twice each year until the plants begin to 
attain their normal size, when they should be sheared 
semi-annually, or oftener. In some cases a formal hedge 
is not desired. Barberry, for instance, is much more 
attractive if allowed to assume its natural form, and 
in this case the plants should not be so near together. 
Many of the evergreens make excellent hedges, but 




FIG. 6. 

Cross-sections 
Starting the formal hedge; begin with the young plant and keep new growth 
headed back several times a season imtil shape and size desired is attained. 



they must be pruned severely and freely from the start, 
if one wishes a hedge and not merely a row of over- 
crowded trees. 

EVERGREENS: Many gardeners who prune their 
other plants freely enough seem to be afraid to touch 
an evergreen, and the result is that one frequently sees 
misshapen specimens which could have been made sym- 
metrical if they had been taken in time. Even if the 
top or leader of an evergreen is cut out, a new one will 
take its place and in a few seasons can hardly be dis- 
tinguished, without careful examination, from the orig- 

29 V 



inal. This is also true of the side branches, and this 
fact can be used to good advantage by pinching off the 
leaders of over vigorous branches to stimulate the 
growth of the less vigorous. The growth of the stronger 
branches is not injured, as a new leader will take the 
place of the one pinched out. 

SHADE TREES: In setting out ornamental and 
shade trees they should be treated during the first few 
years, very much as young fruit trees. In building up 
the skeleton which is to form the frame work of the 
future tree one should be careful to study the plant- 
form or natural habit of mature trees of the same variety, 
in order to know definitely what to plan for. 

When the tree has once become well established, and 
approaches maturity, it will need very little attention 
in the way of annual pruning; but injured limbs should 
be carefully removed and all trees should be looked 
over carefully once a year, and given any attention in 
the matter of pruning, etc., that they may need. 

HARDY VINES: The ornamental or flowering vines 
come under the same rule as the ornamental shrubs, — 
that is, those which flower from buds produced the 
previous season should be pruned immediately after 
flowering, and the others during early spring. For 
instance. Wistaria and Clematis Jackmanii should be 
pruned after flowering, while Bignonia and Clematis 
Paniculata may be pruned in the spring. The hardy 
vines need very little pruning except such as may be 
needed in training them to trellises, or into any desired 
form, and the occasional cutting out to the ground of 
old stems or stalks, to make room for vigorous new 
growth. 



30 



Pruning" Fruit Trees, 
Dwarf Fruits and Trained Fruits 

The Care of Young Trees and the 
Rejuvenation of Old 

THE pruning required by your fruit trees is of three 
distinct types: 
Pruning to form the young or growing tree. 
Pruning to re-form old trees. 

Pruning to keep the trees in vigor, health and good 
bearing. 





FIG. 7. 
Young fruit tree (peach) 
as dug at nursery. Prune 
back roots to A-B. 



EIG. 8. 
Young fruit tree (peach) 
headed back and pruned to 
"whip" at time of planting. 
"Head" is formed a year 
later, similar to that in 
Fig. 7. 



PRUNING TO FORM THE GROWING TREE: 

With the common fruit trees — apples, peach, pear, plum, 
cherry, and quince — pruning should begin at the time 
of planting. There are two methods, either one of which 
may be employed at the start. The first is, cut the 
newly set tree back to a "whip" — that is, all the side 
branches are cut off close to the main stem, leaving 
not more than three buds on each stub. In addition 
to this, the main stem is cut back from a quarter to a 



31 



third of its length. It may seem a crime to you to 
sacrifice all this wood from your little trees, which 
are none too big any way, but do not be tempted 
not to do so. This method should be used with one year 
old trees, and small slim trees. 

The second method is to start the ''head" of the tree 
when it is set. Three of four of the best of the branches 
are retained, but are cut back so that only from four 
to eight buds are left on each. The main stem is cut 
back to just above the uppermost of these selected 





FIG. 9. 
Young tree (apple) with 
head started at time of 
planting ; "branches evenly 
distributed both up-and- 
down and around trunk. 



FIG. 10. 
Young tree (apple) after 
second pruning; each branch 
treated much as though it 
were a young tree. 



branches; and everything else is cut away clean to the 
main stem. As this method determines the ultirnate 
form or shape of the tree, one must have a general idea 
as to just what type of tree is wanted. If the head is to 
be "low" the branches left should not be over two feet 
from the ground for apples and cherries and pears; and 
not over eighteen inches for peaches and plums. A 
point of the utmost importance in selecting the branches 
to be retained is to see that no two of them form a crotch 
— that is, they must not spring from opposite each other 
on the main stem. They should be distributed as evenly 
as possible along the stem and around it. As the main 

32 



stem is cut back to the topmost branch saved, a half to 
two- thirds of it is cut away — another seeming great sacri- 
fice of wood which is, nevertheless, essential to success. 
For fruit trees to be grown on the lawn or in the garden, 
the "low" head is usually not desired. Therefore, the 
limb selected to form the future head of the tree need be 
only from two to three feet from the ground. The 
second method of pruning is adapted for two or three 
year old plants which, when received from the nursery, 
have good limbs from which to select those which are 
to be saved. 

Early in the spring the year after planting, the second 
pruning should be given. In the case of trees that were 
cut back to whips (by the first method described above) 
select four to six of the best branches to form the future 
head, keeping in mind the points mentioned in the pre- 
ceding paragraph. In the case of trees pruned by the 
second method, — i. e., to begin to form the head at once, 
— prune back the following spring one half of the new 
growth on the branches left before, and from two to four 
eyes on the side shoots. Remove back clean to the main 
stem all surplus branches that are not wanted. 

The third annual pruning for the trees that were 
trimmed back to a whip, is to precede in the same man- 
ner as during the second pruning for trees that were 
trimmed to a head when set, as described in the pre- 
ceding paragraph. 

If the pruning for the first two or three seasons is 
done thoroughly, little pruning will be required there- 
after. Cut back from a third to a half of the new growth 
each year, avoid making crotches; cut out intersecting 
limbs; and save laterals or branches that will tend to 
the formation or shape of the tree desired, according 
to the general principles discussed under the head **How 
to Prune." 

PRUNING TO RE-FORM OLD TREES: In the 
case of old trees, or fairly young trees that have been 
neglected, it is often necessary literally to cut away 
the whole top of the tree. The mistake is often made of 
trying to do this all at one pruning. The correct method 
is to cut away at first all the new young growth and 
sprouts except the comparatively few selected to make 

33^ 



the new limbs or the framework. Then about a third 
of the old limbs should be removed or sawed off, just 
beyond the point from which these new leaders spring, 
the work being done with great care as described under 
"Pruning in the Rose Garden." In the succeeding year 
or two years, the rest of the old limbs may be removed, 
and the new growth handled in the same way, as that on 
a new growing tree. 

The general pruning of fruit trees which have been 
established, to keep them in vigorous growth and 
good bearing, is merely an application of the principles 
which we have already described. The different fruits 
vary a good deal in the amount and the kind of pruning 
they require, and their needs and how to meet them 
will be given in the following brief suggestions: 

APPLES: Most varieties are of vigorous growth 
and need some pruning every year. Remove all super- 
fluous growth in the middle and the top,which would tend 
to make the tree too tall or thick and bushy; do not cut 
off close side limbs on main branches, as they sacrifice 
fruiting wood, and leave the limbs, which gradually 
grow in length, bare. 

PEACH: Aim to keep a low open-headed tree by 
thinning out interior growth. Winter injured wood and 
fruit buds may be cut back in early spring. More 
heading-in will be required on strong soil. Dead wood 
and weak wood, particularly in the summer, should be 
kept removed. 

PEAR: Most varieties tend to grow in an upright 
condensed form and should be lightly thinned out every 
spring, cutting above strong outside buds where possible. 
Avoid heavy cutting back however. Keep new growths 
removed from main trunk and lower main limbs, so that 
in case of an attack by fire blight the infested portions 
can be cut away. 

CHERRY: After the frame work of the tree is once 
formed, only slight pruning is needed. Most varieties 
are subjected to injurious cracks caused by sun and wind. 
If the top is kept low and spreading this will be to a 
large extent prevented. Fruit bearing is little affected 
by pruning, and as the trees do not tend to "run away" 
as pear trees do, the only pruning required after the 

34 



trees are once established will be to keep them in health 
and good form. 

PLUM : Little pruning is required ; the trees may be 
set closer together however, if they are headed back 
each year, A third to a half or more of the season's 
growth may be removed with little or no effect on the 
amount of fruit that will be produced the next season, 
and the trees, of course, will have a much more regular 
form. 

QUINCE: Quinces on good soil make vigorous 
growth and the older wood should be kept thinned out 
every one or two years. Avoid cutting back all new 
growth at one time, however, as the result will be little 
fruit. 

PRUNING DWARF and TRAINED FRUITS: 
The amount of space available and other local con- 
ditions will determine whether you want to grow the 
trees in their regular form or train them near a wall or 
upon a trellis. In the latter case, the growth is induced 
to take a lateral form, as far as possible. Even with 
dwarfs the results will depend very largely upon the 
thoroughness with which the pruning is done, especially 
in the early stages of growth. To induce pyramidal 
form of growth, which is usually the best for dwarf 
trees it is necessary to cut back the main shoots or 
''leaders" quite low down thus inducing the more vig- 
orous growth of the side branches, and leaving the tree 
at first with an open center. At the time of planting 
they should be shortened back about one-third in the 
usual way, and as soon as they become established the 
centers should be cut back to a height of ten to twenty 
inches. If vigorous growth is made, these side branches 
should be headed in, leaving four or five shoots on each. 
These will, of course, tend to an upright position in 
making their growth. The following spring these shoots 
should be cut back severely — half will not be too much 
if they have made a vigorous growth — and in case they 
should be too thick remove some of the side branches 
from which they sprout. This severe pruning should be 
continued for three or four years and the shoots should 
be gone over annually, early in the summer. All branches 
that crowd or cross should be cut out, and all those 

35^ 



that seem to be making too vigorous growth should be 
headed back in order that the tree may be kept sym- 
metrical. For best results in the fruit there should be 
free access of air and sunlight to all parts of the tree. 
Each spring the annual growth of the year before should 
be cut back a third or more, as may be required to keep 
the trees in shape and as small as desired. 

Where the trees are to be trained upon the trellis, 
a somewhat different system has to be used. In the 
first place they should be planted almost directly under 
it, that is so that the main trunk will grow close to the 
wires and not several inches away. After planting, 
when growth starts, the main trunk should be cut off 
a few inches above the first wire and three buds allowed 
to develop. One of these is trained along the wire on 
either side of the trunk and the third encouraged to make 
an upright growth as far as the next wire, where the 
same process is used; that is, three buds are left here, 
two of which are trained in either direction on the second 
wire, and the third bud which should be preferably 
on the opposite side of the trunk from the one below it, 
up to the third wire, etc. The shoots which start from 
the lateral branches should be kept cut back to four 
or five inches, saving only one out of every two or three 
so they will not be too close together. Every spring, 
as soon as the buds are well started, all those which 
are not desired should be rubbed off before they make 
any considerable growth, as this is not only very much 
easier but also saves the strength of the tree for the 
growth which is retained. 



36 



Pruning" Small Fruits 

Neglect in Pruning Causes Inferior Quality 
and Small Yields; How To Get the 
Best Results 



IT is a true but a sad fatt that plants which do not 
have to be coddled and looked after by the gardener 

in order to live at all, are likely to be neglected 
altogether. 

Only too often this is the case with the small fruits. 
Being able to survive neglect and still produce annually 
small crops of under size and poor quality fruits, they 
are left to themselves, particularly so far as pruning is 
concerned, when a few hours attention a year with 
a good sharp pair of shears would double the quantity 
and more than double the quality of their yield. 

GRAPES: The pruning of the grape is much more 
complicated than that of the other small fruits. The 
general confusion which exists in connection with 
pruning grapes is due to the fact that there are two 
different things to be accomplished: first, training; and 
in addition to that, pruning to get the best fruit. 

To begin at the beginning, the vine when first set 
out should be pruned back even more severely than 
fruit trees, leaving the stub with one to three eyes. 
The roots of the plant will be much longer and more 
scraggly than those of a fruit tree and should be cut 
back, when received from the nursery, about a half. 
If there are roots above the real stem or base of the 
plant, they should be cut off close to the cane. 

The subsequent pruning will depend primarily upon 
the method of training which is to be followed. If the 
plants are to be grown over an arbor or a trellis, or 
against a wall, the main cane or canes may be trained 
up in any way desired. Where a number of plants are 
to be grown in the garden primarily for the fruit, the 
method known as the modified Kniffin System is pref- 
erable. A stout wire is stretched five or six feet above 
the ground and the main stem or cane runs up to it, 

37 



and the laterals are trained along it. Another method is 
to have two or three horizontal wires at intervals of 
eighteen inches to three feet. Whatever system of 
training is used the general principles of pruning are the 
same, as follows: There are two main facts which 
must be constantly kept in mind in pruning grapes: 
the first is that the fruit is borne only on shoots of the cur- 
rent year's growth, springing from wood or canes of the 
previous year's growth; the other is that the grape vine, 
under culture, naturally attempts to produce several 
times the number of bunches that it can fully mature. 
This being the case, to get well ripened and large grapes 
every year you should prune as follows: 

First Pruning: When planting cut back from two 
to three eyes, and when these sprout train up the one 
or two strongest to the support provided, removing the 
others. 

Second Pruning: The following spring, in February 
or March, leave only the best cane and cut back to three 
or four eyes. 

Third Pruning: At the point of the first support 
save only two canes; train these along the support; 
and remove all others. These ''arms," branching from 
the main stem, furnish the frame from which the next 
season's bearing shoots will grow. 

Fourth Pruning: The second spring, in February 
or March, cut these arms to eight or ten buds, for 
otherwise altogether too much fruit would set. The 
shoots which will sprout from these in the early 
spring are allowed to hang down instead of being|tied 
to a support, and on these the fruit is produced. 

Fifth Pruning: In the third spring, February or 
March, of the new canes on the arms trained to each 
wire of the trellis, only the two nearest the main trunk 
are saved. These are cut back to six to ten buds each; 
everything else should be cut away clean. The new 
canes are then tied to the wire. 

Sixth Pruning: A similar pruning should be given 
every winter or in the succeeding spring, except that 
every two or three years two new canes from the main 
trunk may be saved at each wire, so that the old "arms," 

38 



which are gradually getting too long, may be removed. 
These new canes are then handled in the same way as 
the ones which they are to replace. 

For vines growing over an arbor or a tree, where the 
above system cannot be practiced, cut back all the 
laterals to within three or four buds of the main vine 
or vines, every winter or early spring. 

In addition to this pruning, during the growing 
season all buds that start from the main vine and 
branches should be rubbed off. 

CURRANTS AND GOOSEBERRIES 

Currants are usually grown in the bush form, although 
they can be trained to other shapes. Currants and goose- 
berries fruit on wood that is two or three years old, but 
the first two or three crops are by far the best. You 
should aim, therefore, to keep the plants sufficiently 
open so that there is plenty of light, air, and sunshine, 
and so that the plant will not attempt to bear too much, 
with the result that what there is will be of the best. 
Secondly, plan to keep it constantly renewed. To do 
this, in pruning currants, cut out each year some of the 
old hard wood, and all the new growth except that 
wanted to replace the old that is removed. Thin suf- 
ficiently to keep the plant well open, and of course, 
remove all the shoots that are dead and those attacked 
by the borer. If the new growths are cut back during 
late summer they will ripen up better; and a general 
light heading back may be given to keep the whole 
plant is good shape. The black currant does not need 
to be renewed as frequently; and, making a much 
heavier growth, can be developed into the tree form. 
Shoots attacked by the borer usually have a wilted 
appearance and should be cut and burnt at once. 

The gooseberry is pruned in the same way as the 
currant except that it is not necessary to renew the wood 
as frequently, and care should be taken to keep the plant 
from becoming crowded, as this increases the danger 
of the dreaded mildew. Do not prune, however, so that 
the fruit will be exposed to direct sunshine. Heading 
in the new growth during summer will help prevent 

39 



having too much fruit set near the top of the plant. 
Cut off all branches which droop to the ground. 



THE CANE FRUITS 
Blackberries, Dewberries, Raspberries, etc. 

At the time of planting, the cane fruits should be cut 
back to six to ten inches; the smaller the variety or the 
plant the less growth should be left. The subsequent 
pruning will depend upon the variety, and also upon the 
method of support, but in general the following prin- 





FIG. 11. 
Cane fruit (raspberry) 
correctly pruned, ample 
bearing surface strongly 
supported. 



FIG. 12. 

Cane fruit (raspberry) 
poorly pruned . Small yield , 
and in need of support. 



ciples should be observed: The cane fruits bear on the 
growth of the previous season. The first things to re- 
member then is cut out old canes as soon as they have 
fruited. This is better done as soon as possible after the 
crop is picked, though it may be deferred to fall or 
winter. Most varieties are over prolific in the pro- 
duction of new canes, and all but four or five should be 
cut out to the ground. Those saved for fruiting next 
year should, if they are to support themselves, be cut 

40 



back when three to five feet high. If they are supported 
they can make full growth and be cut back in the spring. 
Many varieties, especially most of the black rasp- 
berries or "black caps," fruit on the lateral or side 
shoots thrown out by the main canes, and these should 
be pruned back a third to a half early in the spring. 
To sum up, in pruning the cane fruits: First, cut out 
old canes as soon as they have fruited; second, cut out 
down to the ground all but four or five of the new canes, 
the earlier the better; third, cut back the new canes and 
their side shoots a third or so in the winter or early 
spring. 




.41 



Definitions 

Horticultural Definitions of a Few 
Garden Words 

A SLIGHT misunderstanding of garden words that 
are in everyday use may lead to confusion and 
^misinterpretation. Following are horticultural 
definitions of garden words in common use : 

ANNUAL — An annual is a plant that grows from seed, and dies 
root and branch with the perfection of its seed, all within the one 
period of growth. Practically and in garden use, however, many 
plants that are not annuals but which are treated as annuals inas- 
much as they may be raised from seed and brought to flower within 
the year, are included in this group. Salvia, for instance, which is 
actually a perennial, is killed on the approach of frost. 

BIENNIAL — A plant that takes two years to attain maturity. 
One that devotes its energies in the first year to the production of 
a plant from the seed and after one resting period (winter) starts 
into growth again for the purpose of producing flower and seed — 
and then dies. Some biennials, if started early enough in spring, 
will produce flowers late that same season, and so behave as garden 
annuals. 

PERENNIAL — A plant that may live indefinitely. A plant that 
does not die after producing its seed, and in which the death of the 
flowering axis causes the development of ofi^sets, and through the 
increase or spread of a plant, continues to live many years. 

HERBACEOUS — ^A plant that does not make v/oody tissue. Hence 
a herbaceous perennial is a plant that makes a succulent growth 
each year and which, never becoming woody, dies down. The root 
in such a plant persists and carries on the life. Everything that dies 
down in winter and comes up again the following season, is a her- 
baceous perennial. A hardy perennial is merely an expression of 
relative hardiness in the climate in which the plant is grown. 

HARDY — Meaning that the plant can endure the winter weather con- 
ditions under which it finds itself. A plant may be hardy or not 
hardy within a very short range, according to exposure, soil 
conditions, drainage, etc. 

TREE — A woody perennial that arises from the ground on a single 
trunk or stem, thus differing from a shrub. 

SHRUB — A woody perennial that arises from the ground by means 
of more than one stem from the root. According to the environ- 
ments some plants may vary between different classifications. Thus 
the Summer Lilac (Buddleia), in the North, is regarded as a 
hardy herbaceous perennial; in the South, it becomes in practice 
a shrub. Another instance of a popular plant on the border line 
is Bush Clover (Lespedeza). 

42 



Around the Year with the 
Pruning Shears 

Seasonable Work That Will Keep the Place Ship- 
shape and Give Better Fruits and Flowers 

THE following brief suggestions or "reminders" are meant 
merely as hints to show you what to look for from month 
to month to do with your pruning shears. Directions for the 
work have already been given in the preceding chapters. 

January-February: Winter or dormant pruning of fruit trees 
and large trees, especially removing dead and surplus wood, and 
reforming over-grown tops. Currants, gooseberries and grapes. 

MARCH: Any of the above; grapes before sap starts. Shrubs and 
vines that flower on current year's growth. Hybrid perpetual and 
Rugosa roses. 

APRIL: Any of the above except grapes. Hybrid teas and tea 
roses, as soon as the buds start. 

MAY: Cut out winter-killed wood of all kinds. Prune earliest 
flowering shrubs as soon as they go by. 

JUNE: Early flowering shrubs as soon as they go by. Keep un- 
desirable new growth on young grapes and fruit trees rubbed off. 

Head in and shape young growing trees. 

Head in and guide, as necessary, trained fruits. 

Pinch in the evergreens to get symmetrical development. 

Trim or shear hedges, and formal-shaped shrubs and trees. 

Cut or pinch back annuals and perennials to get more branching 
plants, or second growth. 

Thin or disbud annuals and perennials to get larger flowers. 

JULY- AUGUST: Any of the above. 

Also prune hardy climbing roses when through flowering. 

Cane Fruits when through bearing. 

September: As above. 

Also head in strong new growth on both fruits and ornamentals, 
to induce better "ripening up" of the wood before winter. 

October: Get ready for winter; cut back rampant growths of 
canes, fruits, roses, etc. 

November-December: Winter or dormant pruning, especially of 
fruit trees, late flowering shrubs, etc. 

43 



Pruning" Equipment 

How to Select Good Pruning Shears 
and Their Care 



PRUNING with dull tools is a thankless task — hard on both the 
garden and the gardener. The same work done with good tools 
is a pleasure and leaves smooth, clean cuts that look neat and 
heal quickly. One can hardly emphasize the importance of having 
efficient, sharp pruning shears as strongly as it should be emphasized. 
They make all the difference in the world between good work and 
bungling work; and hard work and pleasure. 

Now as to the equipment necessary. It need not be either extensive 
or expensive. The first and most important item is a good pair of 
pruning shears. With them, and your fingers, you can do probably 
ninety per cent of the pruning to be done in your garden and about 
your grounds. With ordinary good care they will last for years. 
Therefore, get the best shears you can buy. 

Here are the points to look for in a good pair of shears: (1) 
Efficiency; correct design, so that you can get a quick, clean, smooth 
cut with a minimum of effort; (2) Good Material; insuring a long- 
lasting cutting edge, and protection from rust — a rusty blade, even 
if sharp, means poor work and blistered hands; (3) Adjusting 
Device; the best of shears will "work loose" with wear, and unless 
the blades can be kept tight against each other they will not do good 
work, no matter how sharp and clean ; the best shears have a ratchet 
nut by which they can be kept perfectly tight; (4) Convenience; 
select shears with a spring that can't come out; and with handles 
that cannot close upon and pinch the fingers. See that the shears you 
buy come up to these tests, and you will get pruning-shear satisfaction. 

In all but the smallest of gardens I would strongly advocate the use 
of two pairs of shears; a large 9-inch pair for regular heavy work, 
and a smaller 6-inch pair to be carried about constantly for every 
day use and the little jobs which would be forgotten if not attended 
to "on the spot" when they are seen. The shears that I use most are 
six inches long and weigh four ounces. The fact that they were sold 
as "Ladies' Rose Shears," or something of that sort does not make 
them less useful. They can be carried about in a hip pocket or an 
apron — never in the way — but always available! 

All pruning tools should be kept in a dry place, and always rubbed 
with rust-protecting oil or kerosene after being used. This is not alone 
for looks, but is essential to good work. All joints and pivots, and 
springs should be kept well oiled. The cutting blades should be kept 
sharp, and free from nicks. 

Keep your pruning tools in good condition and your pruning will 
take care of itself! 

44 



How to Get the Right Shears 

Knowing the kind of shears to get is equally as important as know- 
ing when and how to use them. This book would fall short in giving 
practical pruning service if it did not tell you the exact kind of prun- 
ing shear to get, where to get it and how to recognize it. 

Therefore, in this division of the book you will find just the sort 
of shear information that will assist you in making practical use of 
the pruning directions given on the foregoing pages. 

Tool making is an art which dates back to the early centuries. By 
skill in the making and skill in the using, mechanics' tools have 
reached a wonderful degree of perfection. Much tool history during 
the last 100 years has been written in the name of "Pexto." This 
trade name was adopted many years ago by The Peck, Stow & Wilcox 
Company, Southington, Conn., and Cleveland, Ohio. It covers a 
complete line of mechanics' tools and represents the highest quality 
in each kind. 

In PEXTO Pruning Shears you will get the result of nearly a 
century of tool making experience. You'll realize the good points 
of Pexto Shears the first time you try them but you'll appreciate all 
the finer points with continued use. The following short description 
will assist you in selecting the right kinds for your purposes. 




PEXTO No. R 85-9 " 

THIS is PEXTO Swiss Pattern Pruning Shear, full polished, 
which originally became popular in the vineyards and rice 
fields of this country, and later grew to general popularity 
owing to its great strength, adaptability for heavy work, long usage, 
and easy cutting qualities. 

It is in every respect a high grade Pruning Shear, of unusual 
quality, combining fine material, expert workmanship and correct 
design. The blades are made from the best crucible steel, ground 
convex and specially tempered. 

This Shear has the regulating ratchet nut, longitudinal double 
brass springs, and removable handle clip; in fact every desirable 
feature for the user. It is highly recommended and fully guaran- 
teed. 

v4S 




PEXTO No. R 165-9" 

THIS is PEXTO California Pattern Pruning Shear which 
has become extremely popular in the United States and 
foreign countries. 
The handles are somewhat lighter than the Swiss Pattern, 
shown above, making it very desirable for home gardening. 

It fits the hand perfectly, and with the double longitudinal brass 
springs, operates freely. This style Shear is made from the very 
best material with blades of best crucible steel, correctly tempered, 
having long bevel which, with properly arched hook, makes it an 
easy cutter. 

This Shear has the regulating ratchet nut and an attached end 
fastening clip, which cannot be lost or misplaced. It is full polished 
and nickel plated, all excellent features in Pruning Shear construc- 
tion. Fully guaranteed. 




PEXTO No. R 170-9" 



THIS Shear was especially designed for parties who like a good 
size, wide blade, and is also made of the very best materials, 
many people claiming that it cuts easier in their hands than 
any other style they have ever used. For that reason, its popularity 
continues to grow. 

This style is made with a volute spring, which is also desired by 
parties who lean to this particular style. It has the regulating 
ratchet nut, end clip fastening arrangement, is full polished and 
nickel plated. 

Fully Guaranteed. 




PEXTO No.14— 6"-Ladies Pruning Shear 

Also styled Rose Shear 

THIS is a very attractive and desirable little Shear to have 
in your home; especially adapted for trimming roses and 
other flowers in the garden, as well as light branches of any 
description. 

It is made of the best quality steel, properly tempered, full 
polished and nickel plated. It has a volute style spring, which is 
exactly proper for a Shear of this nature. 

The long bevel of blade and properly arched hook in this Shear 
as well as the other features mentioned above, make it an easy and 
clean cutter. 

A pair of these will save the scissors, which have often been 
spoiled in trimming rose vines and bushes. 
This Shear is fully guaranteed. 




What the Regulating Ratchet Nut on a 

Pair of Pruning Shears Means 

to Your Satisfaction 

BLADES and handles of a cutting instrument held together 
by a bolt and nut will eventually work loose. At first, 
adjustment can be made by tightening the nut, but use 
loosens it again and in time the blades will again work apart. A 
ratchet-nut, however, is tightened when wear is evident, and the 
pawl slipped a notch or two ahead of the original notch. Thus the 
blades are always held in close and firm adjustment. 

The ratchet pattern pruning shear is always worth the small 
difference in price over the ordinary bolt and nut type. 

In using pruning shears, remember that they are not intended to 
cut hard or dry wood. 

47 



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